Microstructure defines the electroconductive and mechanical performance of plant-derived renewable carbon fiber

A plant-derived lignin polymer has been sought-after as a low-cost carbon fiber (CF) precursor, but the underlying mechanisms defining CF performances are still elusive. This study revealed that both the electroconductive and mechanical performances of lignin-based CF were synergistically improved by enhancing the microstructures through modifying the lignin chemistry, which paved a pathway to holistically improve the lignin CF quality.